Massachusetts regulators will require cannabis businesses to use a single laboratory for all compliance testing in an effort to prevent companies from shopping around for favorable test results.

The state’s Cannabis Control Commission voted 3-0 to require licensed businesses submit testing samples to one independent laboratory starting April 1, 2025, according to an administrative order advanced Thursday. The new rule is meant to close loopholes that some say have allowed companies to shop around for labs to juice their numbers for market share.

“This administrative order continues our mission of being a strong regulator,” Acting Executive Director Debbie Hilton-Creek said in a statement.

Under current rules, companies can split testing among multiple labs. The practice has led some facilities to report suspiciously high THC levels or overlook contamination to attract business.

The commission’s enforcement team said the changes would reduce risks of noncompliant products reaching consumers and improve audit capabilities. The move follows a November listening session in which testing concerns were raised, according to the announcement.

If an original testing lab needs to subcontract work, they must first obtain commission approval and demonstrate they are “incapable of performing certain required tests due to a hardship.” Labs also can only subcontract with one other facility at a time.

“The commission shall only approve subcontracting agreements when the Originating Independent Testing Laboratory is incapable of performing certain required tests due to a hardship relative to its facilities, instrumentation, personnel, or required consumable materials or in the event of an actual or potential conflict of interest,” according to the order.

Results must be uploaded to the state’s tracking system within 72 hours, with all certificates of analysis containing the complete testing results, including any subcontracted work, it said.

The commission will also begin publishing THC test results on its public data platform and establishing regular meetings with licensed laboratories to improve oversight.

The commission thus far has struggled to implement effective testing oversight. Earlier this year, the agency contracted with a private lab for a “secret shopper” program to verify retail products’ test results, Green Market Report previously reported. Unlike other major cannabis markets such as California and Colorado, Massachusetts lacks a state reference lab to independently verify commercial lab results.

Analysis of testing data by MCR Labs found that across multiple states, laboratories reporting higher THC concentrations tend to increase their market share while those reporting average failure rates lose business, according to Chemical & Engineering News.

Two years after its rocky start, New York’s legal cannabis market may be finally hitting its stride, with monthly sales soaring to $131 million across 215 dispensaries – a big shift from the single store that opened its doors in Manhattan’s East Village in late 2022.

The surge has created an unusually concentrated market where local brands are thriving and commanding premium prices, according to a new analysis from cannabis research firm Zuanic & Associates. While New York dispensaries remain sparse versus other legal states – just 11 stores per million residents versus California’s 32 – they’re proving remarkably productive, averaging $7 million in annual revenue per location.

“New York’s legal rec cannabis market is now at a $1.6 billion run rate,” Pablo Zuanic, the firm’s lead analyst, said. He acknowledged the recreational market’s challenges with red tape, illicit competition, and limited product selection but pointed to the market’s recovery in recent quarters​.

Local players have carved out strong positions across product categories. In flower, which makes up 35% of sales, homegrown brand Dank By Definition leads with 12.5% market share and charges a hefty premium at $14.12 per gram. But it’s facing growing competition from PharmaCann, one of the largest private multistate operators, whose LivWell and Matter brands have captured 18% of flower sales by targeting more value-conscious consumers.

The edibles segment tells an even more interesting story about brand power. Local manufacturer Off Hours commands nearly a quarter of sales, while California transplant Kiva has successfully exported its popular Camino brand to capture 19.4% of the market. That level of brand concentration – with top players controlling 40% or more of certain categories – is unusual for such a young market.

The combination of strong pricing and brand loyalty could attract more established cannabis companies looking to break into New York, either directly or through brand licensing deals. While most large multistate operators have limited presence here so far, the success of out-of-state brands like Kiva’s Camino in edibles and Rove in vapes shows there’s room for newcomers who understand the market’s premium positioning.

“Given strong pricing in the legal New York cannabis market, higher than normal brand concentration (for a new market), and what we would characterize as still volatile market share trends, we see an opportunity for MSOs to eventually build presence in the state,” Zuanic noted. “If they can make it there…”​